I’m extremely excited to write my first book review on. . .drum roll please…
Ba-dum-dum-CHING!
HAND OF ADONAI
By Aaron Gansky
If you’re looking for a great book for your teen to start the new school year, look no further. But I must warn you, as an adult, I was drawn in from the first sentence. You will be too.
Right away the reader is transported into a fantasy world called Alrujah. It feels a lot like entering Middle Earth or Narnia, with medieval castles, magic and demonic forces, yet with a twist. Alrujah is a digital fantasy world created by two teens, Lauren Knowles and Oliver Shaw. Here’s the kicker—one day Lauren and Oliver wake up in the digital world they created. Oh, and they drag a few friends from high school along too.
The characters are believable and easy to identify with. Each seem to push each other’s buttons, and yet this is the very thing needed to become stronger and more courageous. Courage is a much-needed commodity to face the evil, creepy creatures, dark caves and a host of other obstacles they encounter.
You’ll never get bored reading this book.
How do the friends manage to get out of this amazing and yet dangerous world? Well, you’ll need to pick up a copy.
The good news is, you can enter to win an autographed paperback copy. Here’s how:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/tag/christian-fiction?id=christian-fiction
Once you’re on the site, be sure and scroll down to find Hand of Adonai.
By the way, this is book number one in a series. I must say, I’m dying for book number two because I have many unanswered questions.
About Aaron Gansky
How did you come up with the idea? I’m not exactly sure where the idea for Hand of Adonai came from. Originally, I wanted to write a book that spoofed old-school role playing games like Final Fantasy (one of my favorites). I wanted to play around with the tropes and pull off some meta jokes that would be funny to the reader because the characters were aware of the tropes they were playing into. Of course, to do that, I needed characters from outside of the game. So I started playing with this Tron-meets-Narnia kind of set up, and I really liked it. Somewhere along the way, I cared less about the silly jokes and more about the characters and the world I’d created.
Why did you write it? I wrote it because I wanted to do something different than The Bargain. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the book, but it was very literary, and I remember agonizing over every detail of it. So I thought I’d write something a little less serious and a little more fun. Of course, I still agonized over every detail, but I enjoyed it in a very different way than I’d enjoyed The Bargain.
For more information about Aaron: http://aarongansky.com/
Thank you, Aaron for taking the time to answer my questions and allowing me to write a review.
I love Hand of Adonai. I messaged Aaron often when I was beta-reading it. Lauren’s character in particular brought back many high school memories, and it was a challenge and a joy to keep reading. Like you, Beckie, I’m looking forward to the next installments.
Hello Beckie,
Would you be interested in reviewing the 24-page pdf of my picture book for children, “Marie and Mr. Bee”? Here’s a bit about the story:
Marie is a happy little girl who lives in a cabin in the woods, working and playing with her forest friends . . . until a not-so-busy bee entices her to neglect her work! Compassion, forgiveness, restoration, and a forever friendship ensue.
By the following summer, Mr. Bee is too old to fly. But every night, Marie lifts her little friend onto her lap and reads to him from the Bible (Proverbs 12:14b version), or their very own storybook (regular version).
Marie uses a wheelchair, which is clear from the pictures. However, there is only one reference to the chair in the text–when she wheels the ailing Mr. Bee back to her cabin after his expulsion from the hive. Some people appreciate the fact that the disability is present without being the focus. Others are pleased to see someone with a disability in the role of rescuer.
Marie and Mr. Bee will be enjoyed by children 4 to 8 years old, and their grown-ups.
Would you be interested in reading the 24-page pdf (for free, of course) with an eye to possibly reviewing it? If so, thank you for your help–I will be pleased to send it to you.
Margaret,
I would be honored to read your children’s picture book. Please send me the pdf: beckielindsey16@gmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
God bless,
Beckie